Watch Joe's War

Joe's War is a 2017 drama film that follows the story of a soldier, Joe Carpenter (played by Michael Markiewicz), who returns home from war with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The movie portrays the struggles of Joe as he tries to adjust to civilian life while battling his inner demons, including nightmares and flashbacks of his time in war.

As Joe tries to reconnect with his wife, Cheryl (played by Tonita Castro), and daughter, Samantha (played by Daniela Bobadilla), he realizes that he has changed in ways that make it difficult for him to resume his previous life. The movie moves at a quick pace and offers a moving and authentic portrayal of a battle-scarred soldier trying to find his way back to normalcy.

Throughout the story, Joe faces various challenges - from rumors and assumptions about his behavior to restraining himself from responding with aggression to situations that would have been easily handled back in the war zone. His struggles to reintegrate into society cause him to lose his job, alienate his family and see a therapist, which only exacerbates the complexity he is dealing with.

While working through his issues, Joe meets an older veteran, Mr. Vic (played by Armand Assante), who becomes his mentor and helps him understand the nature of PTSD. Mr. Vic is a wise and complicated character with a haunting past thathe is reluctant to confront. Although he is skeptical at first, Joe slowly opens up to him and gets help in finally coming to grips with his inner thoughts and feelings.

Tom Sizemore also stars in the film as a veteran with similar challenges to Joe, whom he meets through a support group. Sizemore's character is tormented by the guilt and trauma of his past experiences, and this resonates deeply with Joe. It is through these interactions with other war veterans that Joe begins to make progress in managing his PTSD and starts the journey towards acceptance.

In combination, the tight screenplay by Edward Pfeifer and the direction by Phil Falcone manage to deliver a moving story of a soldier trying to cope with the consequences of war and its aftermath. The strong performances by the actors add to the authenticity of the portrayal of PTSD symptoms and the universal human struggle to cope with emotionally intense experiences.

Overall, Joe's War is a must-watch for those seeking meaningful depictions of the harsh realities of life after war. It is a deep and emotional film that doesn’t shy away from focusing on the daily struggles of soldiers and their families. It is not only an excellent representation of the psyche of war veterans, but also a powerful testament of the power of human resilience, love and patience.

Joe's War is a 2017 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 48 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.9.